Not since Theodore Roosevelt nudged university leaders into adopting the forward pass has college football embarked on a season of as much wholesale change as the sport faces in 2024. Revisiting the 2023 season’s College Football Playoff highlights just how dramatically the game is shifting. After 10 seasons with a final four of sorts, the championship tournament triples in size to a playoff bracket ballooned to 12 teams. Three of the four head coaches involved in last year’s playoff moved on in the offseason. That group includes the greatest coach in college football history, Nick Saban, who leapt into retirement unexpectedly. Kalen DeBoer, who coached Washington to the title game, takes up Saban’s mantle at Alabama while 2023 national championship winner Jim Harbaugh leaves Michigan for a return to the NFL. Meanwhile, when Michigan and Washington meet in a rematch of January’s title tilt, it will be in an early October clash of Big Ten Conference counterparts. Expansion of the playoff coincides with football’s version of Manifest Destiny. Multiple conferences will span every continental time zone in 2024, including three of the four leagues guaranteed at least one bid into the 12-team tournament: the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC.All the changes across the sport promises unpredictability. And yet, the favorite to emerge from the 12-team playoff is remarkably predictable.National Championship FrontrunnersIn a career marked with multiple masterclasses taught at the expense of former assistants, Nick Saban delivered one final such lesson with Alabama’s defeat of Kirby Smart and Georgia in the 2023 SEC Championship Game.The loss denied Georgia’s bid to become the first three-peat champion at college football’s top level since Minnesota from 1934-1936. However, a 63-3 deconstruction of then-undefeated Florida State in the Orange Bowl signaled the Bulldogs’ intentions for 2024.Returning defensive back Malaki Starks, linebackers Smael Mondon Jr., Jalon Walker and CJ Allen, and defensive lineman Nazir Stackhouse, Georgia builds around the nation’s most talented defense.DeBoer inherits plenty of talent at Alabama, and the coach’s track record with quarterbacks bodes well for Jalen Milroe’s continued development. The Crimson Tide should remain in the championship mix. Defending national champion Michigan and first-year head coach Sherrone Moore face significant turnover in 2024, opening the door for Ohio State to return to Big Ten prominence. The pressure is on Ryan Day to have the Buckeyes back in national title contention, but the top of the new-look Big Ten figures to be crowded with newcomers Oregon and Washington both likely to be in the title hunt. Oregon will be especially dangerous in its first year in the league, reloading from a 12-win 2023 with the addition of quarterback Dillon Gabriel to replace Bo Nix. Playoff Dark HorsesThe hodge-podge of teams that now make up the Big 12 include a variety of potential breakout contenders. Utah, winner of Pac-12 championships in 2021 and 2022, was knocking on the door of a playoff appearance consistently since 2019. An always-outstanding Utes defense, veteran quarterback Cam Rising and the all-around physicality typical of Kyle Whittingham-coached teams should have Utah at the top of its new conference. Fellow Pac-12 transplant Arizona also aims to springboard to the front of the Big 12, despite losing coach Jedd Fisch to Washington. The 2023 surprise team returns one of the nation’s most exciting offensive tandems in quarterback Noah Fifita and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, and new head coach Brent Brennan showed a knack for overachieving in his tenure at San Jose State.An early-season road trip to Kansas State could set the tone for the Big 12 race early. Kansas State is a potential playoff team in its own right, featuring a Heisman Trophy dark horse in do-everything running back DJ Giddens. With seven at-large bids in the new playoff format, teams that hit a glass ceiling in their conferences will now have an opportunity to make the tournament after falling just short in recent years. The SEC features a few such teams, including Ole Miss and 2023 breakout squad Missouri. The 12-team playoff also guarantees a bid to the top-ranked Group of Five conference team. Boise State, which came on late to win the Mountain West Conference in 2023, could finally get the national championship opportunity it has been pursuing consistently for almost two decades. The Broncos feature another potential Heisman-contending running back in hard-rushing Ashton Jeanty. Relatedsafe football betting sitesonline nfl betsbetting on ncaa footballfree nba sportsbookssportsbooks for mlbbetting sites for nhlufc bettingbest online soccer betting sitesbest copa america betting sites
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Prediction: Boca Juniors win
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While the domestic football season may be over across Europe, that doesn t mean there isn t a whole lot going on across the rest of the world including South America. Over in Argentina, the Argentine Primera Division is well into its second phase as the competition begins to heat up. Today, we re going to take a look at what should be a really fun clash between Boca Juniors and Banfield.
Boca Juniors
After finishing 2nd behind an impressive Racing Club in the first phase of the campaign, Boca Juniors will be out to live up to the reputation they ve built for themselves. When you think of Argentine football at the club level you think of Boca Juniors, and they ve got the squad needed to go pretty fa…
Liverpool v Manchester United is one of European football s great rivalries.
But it was as one-sided as they come on Sunday as Jurgen Klopp s side ran out 7-0 victors over United in a rout for the ages at Anfield.
United capitulated in the second half as goals from Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino sealed one of Liverpool s greatest wins over their rivals. Indeed, it was the greatest margin of victory for either side in the long history of the fixture.
Yet how does that result compare to the biggest wins in some of Europe s other great rivalry games?
7 Liverpool have recorded their biggest ever competitive win against Manchester United (7-0), surpassing their previous best which was set back in October 1895 (7-1 in the second tie…
Erik ten Hag has told his Manchester United players they cannot afford to let their performance levels drop when they face struggling Everton at Old Trafford on Saturday.
United snapped a three-game winless streak in the Premier League, including a 7-0 hammering at fierce rivals Liverpool, with a 1-0 victory over Brentford in midweek.
That moved the Red Devils into fourth place, three points clear of Tottenham with a game in hand in the battle for Champions League football next season.
But Ten Hag warned there is still plenty of work to do in United s remaining 10 games, starting with this weekend s visit of an Everton side fighting for survival.
You have to do it every game and that means preparation, but it has to be the standard, Ten Hag said of his s…
Scotland boss Steve Clarke is reading nothing into Germany’s struggles heading into Euro 2024, warning the tournament hosts are “always on it” when it comes to major finals.
Scotland will have the eyes of the continent on them on June 14 next year when they take on Germany in the tournament’s opening match in Munich.
Germany failed to get out of their group at the World Cup in Qatar, with a 2-1 defeat to Japan contributing to their exit. A 4-1 loss to the same opponents in a friendly in September cost Hansi Flick his job.
Click below to get the full details of our draw, as we were placed in Group A alongside Germany, Hungary and Switzerland
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT)
Results have been mixed since, with former Bayern Munich…
Croatia play host to Georgia on Friday while Greece are at home to Malta a day later as the race for top spot in Euro 2012 Group F heats up.
Heading into the weekend s qualifiers, Group F shapes as one of the tournament s most open.
Greece the 2004 champions top the table on 11 points, just one ahead of Croatia and Israel, with Georgia in fourth place on nine points.
Greece and Croatia have both played one game fewer than Croatia and Israel, and will be keen to claim full points from their home matches this weekend to put some breathing space between themselves and those chasing.
Croatia will be hoping for more good form from Spurs midfielder Niko Kranjcar, who has four goals in the campaign so far.
Israel journey to Latvia on Saturday in the gro…
Competition: Euro 2016
Market: England to win against Wales
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England lock horns with Wales in their second Euro 2016 Group B clash at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis this afternoon, and the Three Lions are favourites to see past the Dragons to finish the day top of the table going into their final outing.
England are currently third in Group B after their first game following a 1-1 draw with Russia. Victory over leaders Wales would see Roy Hodgson’s side leapfrog their rivals at the summit, but it won’t come easy. Wales impressed in their 2-1 win over Slovakia, and know a draw could be enough to progress into the knockouts.
Wales are top of the group with maximum points from their first game, and are in pole position to reach the next round. Wit…
Spain s best football players took in some top-class sailing in Alicante hours before meeting Scotland on the pitch.
Vicente Del Bosque s side were based in the coastal city of Alicante as they prepared to play their Euro 2012 qualifier at the Estadio Jose Rico Perez on Tuesday.
The team visited Emirates Team New Zealand, one of the six competing teams who are set to take part in the Volvo Ocean Race.
The Volvo Ocean race begins on October 29, with six elite crews leaving Alicante, for a nine-month race around the world.
They ll have to battle the elements as they complete nine gruelling stages around the planet.
Starting from Spain, the course meanders down to Cape Town before moving on to Abu Dhabi, China and New Zealand.
The race then …
Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer believes Sweden sounded a World Cup warning with their play-off victory over Italy.
Joachim Low s world champions begin their Russia 2018 campaign in Group F against Mexico – a side they dispatched 4-1 on the way to Confederations Cup glory earlier this year.
South Korea are also in the section alongside Sweden, whose two-legged 1-0 triumph over Italy last month meant the Azzurri missed out on the World Cup finals for the first time since 1958.
We ve got opponents who are not unknown to us. I always like it best when we know what to expect, said Bayern Munich star Neuer, who is set to return in the new year following surgery on a broken foot.
captain : We have to take each opponent very seriously, but our aim has to be…
Joshua Zirkzee is reportedly drawing interest from Milan, Juventus and Manchester United, and will have the chance to further his stock after a late call-up for the Netherlands at Euro 2024.
Oranje boss Ronald Koeman has lost Frenkie de Jong and Teun Koopmeiners, as well as midfielder Marten de Roon, in the build-up to the tournament in Germany.
Koeman criticised former club Barcelona for their handling of the injured De Jong before Koopmeiners absence was also confirmed this week in another blow for the Netherlands.
Ajax forward Brian Brobbey is another said to be struggling for fitness, forcing the Dutch to act swiftly with reinforcements.
Zirkzee s inclusion was confirmed on Wednesday as the Netherlands added the striker to their international camp ahe…
Roberto Martinez has confirmed Kevin De Bruyne will be fit for Euro 2020, albeit the Belgium star may not be able to feature in the opening game.
Martinez had been confident his talisman would be available for the tournament despite a facial injury suffered in Manchester City s Champions League final defeat to Chelsea.
De Bruyne sustained a fractured nose and left orbital in a collision with Antonio Rudiger, and was clearly in distress as he left the field in Porto.
However, after medical assessments and a minor surgical intervention – as Martinez described it – De Bruyne has been passed fit to link up with Belgium s squad on Monday.
After looking at the images, it was decided Kevin needed a little bit of an intervention and that has taken place to…